‘She’s made the country proud’: Cayman student gets Top in World award

Cayman Prep and High School A level student Derricka Neysmith has been recognized for attaining the world’s highest mark in her exams.

The 17-year-old received the Top in the World award from Cambridge International Examinations at a school assembly on Thursday morning.

During the celebration, Ms. Neysmith was presented with the award by Education Minister Tara Rivers to mark her achievement in the Travel and Tourism course at AS-Level.

Ms. Rivers said she was excited for the student on her academic accomplishment on a local and global scale.

“She’s not only made her school proud, she’s made the country proud, and I am particularly proud that Derricka [formerly] hails from Clifton Hunter High School,” said Ms. Rivers. “I believe the example she has set will hopefully inspire other students to do the same.”

The former Clifton Hunter High School honor student is no stranger to education success, having received 13 honor passes from that school before moving over to Cayman Prep to complete her A Levels as a scholarship recipient.

“This is the first time I have ever been at the very top and I am grateful that I did not give up,” Ms. Neysmith said, proudly displaying her award signed by Michael Sullivan, Cambridge International Examinations chief executive.

The CIE Travel and Tourism coursework involved planning, carrying out and evaluating a tourism trip where the class was divided into two groups. Ms. Neysmith’s group, CayTravel, successfully carried out an overnight stay with Year 11 “customers” at the Marriott, using providers such as Six Senses Ecotour, Kaibo and Peppers.

Ms. Neysmith thanked her travel and tourism teachers, Jane Wall and Dan Baker, examinations officer Melanie Hydes, head of sixth form Brendan Touhey and head of business Nicholas Yale.

“While I would like to study accounting and business at the University of Miami in the fall of 2017, Travel and Tourism helped me to develop key skills like teamwork and time management,” said Ms. Neysmith.